Top 8 agritourism experiences
Our favorite ways to experience the romance of the small farm (and pick up new skills), from now into harvest season
by Jess Thomson
“Save for the fact it’s in Eastern Washington, everything about the Fromagerie is unabashedly French. Rent the farmside gîte (French for “holiday home”) and live your own agrarian fantasy, with eggs, milk, and cheese straight from the farm, and a vegetable garden just outside your door.”
“Want a taste of farm life—and the Monteillets’ divine cheese…” Mountain Living recommends you come see us, have a farm stay at The Gite and learn to make cheese in one of your hands-one workshops.
“In Washington’s Walla Walla Valley, an area known for producing luscious wines, Joan and Pierre-Louis Monteillet nurture a different (but perfectly complementary) craft: cheese-making. At the fromagerie on their 32-acre farmstead, the couple churn out fresh herbed chèvre, sheep’s-milk mozzarella, brie-style Cardabelle and other small-batch, totally natural cheeses made of milk from the farm’s own dairy. (The particular breeds of sheep and goats the couple raise produce milk with a high butter-fat content—perfect for making creamy French-style cheese.) The Monteillets use traditional methods that Pierre-Louis learned in Roquefort, France, where world-famous cheeses are aged in natural caves.”
Mountain Living’s March/April 2013, “For the Love of Local”
Wanderlust and Lipstick, the women’s travel blog, came to visit us. Women, you will absolutely love our farm. Don’t take our word for it, ask Dayton Strong!
by Daytona Stong
published September 17, 2012
“While wine is the big draw to the Walla Walla Valley, there’s a lot more going on in this little corner of southeast Washington. When you need to give your palate a break, check out the other sights and activities this area has to offer.”
Sorry, the blog post is no longer available online.
By Zibby Wilder
Published: June 27, 2012
“Joan and Pierre-Louis Monteillet live what many consider to be a dream life, churning out beautiful handmade cheeses from a charming farm that’s, yes, pretty as a postcard. But life at Monteillet Fromagerie isn’t as idyllic as it seems – unless you are a fan of really, really, really hard work. When these former wheat farmers aren’t caring for animals, making cheese, managing the tasting room (with outdoor pizza oven!), travelling to Farmer’s Markets as far away as Portland and Seattle, hosting incredible events – such as July’s upcoming Outstanding in the Field dinner, managing a holiday guest house, teaching cheesemaking workshops, or sharing their knowledge with farm interns (live in Kyle MacLachlan’s trailer from the set of Twin Peaks!) they are busy thinking of what’s next – and how that can be better than what was. Tired yet? It may be exhausting just to read about, but this inspiring couple manage it all with a gusto, generosity of spirit and joy that could muster the inner farmer instinct in even the most urban city slicker.”
Read the entire Seattle Weekly article here>>
Our favorite ways to experience the romance of the small farm (and pick up new skills), from now into harvest season
By Jess Thomson
Published: August 2012
“The allure of the farm has always been powerful: It’s a throwback to a simpler way of life, in a setting that’s a whole lot more scenic than our daily office park habitat. And for many farmers, new tourist interest has allowed their farms to thrive. “Farmers are recognizing that people are willing to pay for this experience,” says Penny Leff, agritourism coordinator for the University of California Small Farm Program, whose researchers have seen a boost in the number of farms catering to visitors in recent years.
Another piece behind the agri-boom is that many of us are seeking experiences that go beyond a comfy bed and good meal. Barb Varian of the V6 Ranch in Parkfield, California, says booking inquiries for her family’s cattle drives have risen about 50 percent in the past two years. “As our world becomes busier, it seems people are longing for an adventure,” she says. In that spirit, here are our picks for farms to visit, whether you’re the type who likes waking up to a bottle of fresh milk on your doorstep—or wants to milk the cow.
ESCAPE FROM IT ALL
Forget five-star hotels. If you really want to feel completely away, book into a farm…
Monteillet Fromagerie, near Dayton, WA. Save for the fact it’s in Eastern Washington, everything about the Fromagerie is unabashedly French. Rent the farmside gîte (French for “holiday home”) and live your own agrarian fantasy, with eggs, milk, and cheese straight from the farm, and a vegetable garden just outside your door. $200…”
Exploring four scenic havens for wine, food and outdoor activities in the unspoiled Pacific Northwest.
By Paul Gregutt
Published on Apr 26, 2012
The ongoing expansion of wineries, tasting rooms and related amenities throughout Washington State has dramatically upgraded the state’s appeal for adventurous wine tourists. Washington’s 700-plus wineries offer the diversity of California within a more constrained geographic region. From the hub of Seattle, none of the four touring regions profiled here is more than a four-hour drive. The two largest regions (in terms of wineries)—Woodinville and Walla Walla—neatly bookend the state. In both locations you will find scores of small, family-owned wineries, as well as a handful of larger facilities, along with excellent dining and lodging options.
Washington: Walla Walla Wine Country
Seattle to Walla Walla: about 300 miles
Why go: Some of Washington State’s best wines are produced from vineyards scattered among wheat fields. Gramercy Cellars bottles Syrahs by master sommelier Greg Harrington, who left a restaurant career in New York City for Walla Walla.
Where to stay: The Inn at Abeja consists of five cottages on a turn-of-the-century farmstead (doubles from $215).
What to eat along the way: Artisan goat and sheep milk cheeses are sold at Monteillet Fromagerie in Dayton; in Walla Walla, Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen makes terrific paella
Read the entire article in Food & Wine>>
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With the boom of the Northwest’s local food movement, a new kind of vacation has emerged. More and more farmers are converting spare rooms into guest rooms, and offering city-dwellers a taste of farm life — chickens and all.
Crosscut.com
Seattle
By Amy Pennington
Published: October 19, 2011
Several years ago I visited Croatia to meet extended family and cousins for the first time. Eager for their company, but craving my own space I searched online to look for hotels and inns near the villages where they live. Instead of finding traditional housing, however, I ended up scrolling through page after page of farms offering room and board. The availability of such housing was prolific and in many cases the only option to rely upon. ‘Agroturizam’ was a new concept for me, and one that promised a farm-fresh meal and a full belly — both excellent qualities when traveling.
Back in the states, it became quite clear that many farms offer farm stays. By definition, “Agritourism enterprise is a business conducted by a farm operator for the enjoyment and education of the public, and to promote the products of the farm, and thereby generate additional farm income,” states an agritourism report out of New York published in 2001. The options for a farm stay are quite diverse — some offer free standing cabins, while others offer room and board within the family home. By offering housing, classes, or participation in the day-to-day function of the farm, owners are able to both educate guests and diversify their income stream. Hosting people is particularly beneficial in winter months, when the business of farming is otherwise relatively quiet.
“We started renting the gite about four years ago,” says Joan Montiellet, co-owner along with her husband of their namesake — Fromagerie, in Dayton, about 20 miles east of Walla Walla. Their goat and sheep farm produces terroir-inspired cheese for sale at local restaurants and farmers markets in eastern Washington. While they have lived in Walla Walla County for years, it was only recently that they got into farming and looked for clever ways to create income.
Read the entire article on Crosscut.com>>
